Slight Miscalculation

It would appear our snake problem is bigger than we thought. The nest is, in fact, the well itself. No, a few snakes did not just flee there when we began building ... they all have been living there all along, and apparently they have no plans on leaving any time soon. Despite the many gallons of bleach that have been poured into their environment, despite the cement block that recently went in around the top of the well and a couple feet down (you would have thought that would seal any fissure and ways into the well but, no.... somehow they still have ways in).

We discovered our larger snake issue after I reported to Clay last week that I saw a snake at the top of the well after I spent a day out painting. Naively we both assumed it was the last of two that he had seen prior to the pouring of the cement slab and that most likely it was even dead after the bleach and snake repellent in and around the well. After all, what snake would voluntarily wish to be near such an unpleasant place? Well, Clay took a drive out to camp the next evening with a load of gravel and some friends and when they arrived they lifted the lid of the well to discover a whole, shall we say, "gang" of snakes to greet them, all of whom were quite lively and not in the least sick or dying. They also proceeded to watch them slither up the walls of the well with ease along with somehow finding ways into and out of the well without using the lid through unseen holes. (Is your skin crawling yet? Mine is.)

So, now we have no choice but to rip out the well. Can you say unforeseen expense? We have already called back our excavator and priced sinking a concrete culvert, which you then can put a sealed cap on. It will work and it is about the only way any of us will feel comfortable and know we have eradicated the snake problem. My husband, at this point, I think, is planning to be there with a shot gun when the machinery comes in so he can pick off snakes one by one! Otherwise, we will all be having nightmare visions straight out of a B-movie where there is the shower scene and somehow little baby snakes start coming out of the shower head or something. Ridiculous and completely irrational but such is the human mind. Never a dull moment when building a camp and obviously never a cheap one either ... at this point Isabelle is the only one getting anything for Christmas!